The Tuition Refund Committee considers only cases in which a student has withdrawn from or dropped courses for reasons beyond his/her control (extenuating circumstances). The Committee will only consider appeals written and submitted by the student; appeals submitted by someone other than the student (e.g., parent, guardian, sibling, etc.) will not be considered. Appeals should fully explain the extenuating circumstances and include supporting documentation. Appeals based on medical circumstances must include supporting documentation (e.g., memo on office letterhead from medical professional(s), copy of illness or accident report(s), etc.). Receipts for medical treatment are not acceptable forms of documentation. Appeals submitted due to the death of an immediate family member should include a copy of the death certificate.
In order for an appeal to be considered, the student must prove extenuating circumstances were the sole cause of withdrawal from classes. The Committee will not consider appeals based on the following reasons:
- student lack of knowledge, understanding or failure to follow applicable University policies, dates and deadlines published in the University catalogs, student handbook and online at www.brockport.edu;
- dropping a course and adding another, whether activity takes place on same day or not;
- class non-attendance; textbook and/or computer difficulties;
- student dissatisfaction with course(s), faculty, grade(s), or class location(s);
- student misinterpretation of academic advisement; and/or
- student registering for the wrong course. (It is the student’s responsibility to verify accuracy of course prerequisites or required courses, course schedules, required texts or other supplies, course content and appropriateness of course level, catalog requirements, and registration. If the student experiences technical difficulties during the online registration process, he/she should contact the Office of Registration and Records at (585) 395-2531.)
The Committee will not consider any case which involves a protested check or any account that has been referred/turned over to a collection agency or the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
The appeal must be received no later than one year from the last day of the term for which the tuition requested to be refunded was paid to the University. All tuition, Brockport Student Government (BSG), health, athletic and technology fees or pro-rated room refunds are effective on the date the withdrawal(s) is recorded in the Office of Registration and Records.
Financial Aid Recipients Note: If an appeal is approved for a recipient of federal and/or state financial aid (grants and loans), and the student’s original course registration is cancelled and/or tuition liability is eliminated as a result, federal/state regulations dictate that all financial aid previously applied to the student’s University account and/or disbursed to the student in the form of an overpayment refund, must be returned to the respective loan/grant program. This action may result in an outstanding balance on the student account; in certain scenarios, that (new) balance owed may be in an amount greater than was incurred via the initial registration/aid disbursement. As a result, prior to the processing of any account adjustment for financial aid recipients (only), the Committee will provide the student with a document detailing the financial ramifications of each option. The student will then be responsible for providing written response to the Committee within 14 days. If in that written notification, the student elects to enact the Committee’s approval of the original appeal, and the student’s original course registration is then cancelled and/or tuition liability is eliminated, he/she will then become immediately liable for any resulting balance due. If a written response is not received from the student within the 14-day period, the Committee will enact the appeal as originally granted whether or not it would result in a financial benefit to the student.
Appeals should be addressed to:
Chair, Tuition Refund Committee
Office of Student Accounts
SUNY Brockport
State University of New York
350 New Campus Drive
Brockport, NY 14420-2938
The Committee meets on a monthly basis. Students may contact the Office of Student Accounts to verify the receipt of an appeal, but staff will only be able to confirm that the appeal has been received and forwarded to the Committee for review and consideration. Student Accounts representatives are unable to provide preliminary determinations of approval or denial. Official written notification will be issued only after a final determination has been made by the Committee.
In the event a student’s appeal to the University Tuition Refund Committee is denied, and that student wishes to appeal the determination, they should submit a detailed appeal letter, along with any/all supporting documentation to substantiate their refund appeal, to Dr. Crystal Hallenbeck, Interim Assistant Vice President of Finance and Management. Dr. Hallenbeck serves as the campus Tuition Refund Committee Appeals Officer. All decisions made by the Tuition Refund Committee Appeals Officer are final.
General Information
Tuition Refund/Tuition Liability
The SUNY Board of Trustees has established the refund policy for tuition for full semester (15-week) course(s) dropped as per the refund schedule below.
- First week: 100 percent refund
- Second week: 70 percent refund
- Third week: 50 percent refund
- Fourth week: 30 percent refund
- Fifth week: no refund
Special Sessions (Summer Session and Winter Session), quarter courses, and courses meeting for less than the full semester have individual refund schedules which are different from the refund schedule listed above. Contact the Office of Registration and Records at (585)395-2531 for more information.
Fee Refunds
The Brockport Student Government (BSG), health, athletic, and technology fees may be refundable for separation from classes as indicated in the “Tuition Refunds” section.
For information concerning the following topics/transactions, please contact the appropriate office.
Board (Meal) Refunds
Contact the Office of Dining Services (BASC) at (585)395-2570 or access https://basc1.org for additional information.
Books
Contact the appropriate vendor(s) that the books were purchased from. Access the Barnes & Noble SUNY Brockport Bookstore refund policy detailed at https://brockport.bncollege.com/ . The Barnes & Noble SUNY Brockport Bookstore phone number is (585)395-2554.
Easy Money
Contact Dining Services at (585)395-2570 for information on refunding excess/unused funds.
Independent Study or Internships
Students should contact the appropriate office associated with the program for the tuition refund applicable to that program.
Leave of Absence
For information regarding a formal leave of absence, undergraduate students should contact the Academic Success Center at (585)395-2711. Graduate students should contact their academic department to apply for a formal Leave of Absence.
Study Abroad Programs
Due to the varying charges and fees associated with overseas study, students should contact the Center for Global Education and Engagement at (585)395-2119.
Parking
Contact the Welcome Center and Parking Services at (585)395-2799 for information pertaining to returning parking permits or access https://www2.brockport.edu/support/parking/ to find answers to many of your questions.
Room Refunds
Contact the Office of Residential Life/Learning Communities at (585)395-2122 for additional information.
For a complete listing of University policies and procedures, visit the Student Policy Web page at www.brockport.edu/policies/.